In western and central Africa, fetishes and other ceremonial artifacts are often planted in the ground for protection, blessings, or other purposes.  This carried over into the diaspora and blended with other regional and revealed practices.  One of the things that is done but not often discussed is burying a knife in one’s yard for protection.

Protection salts, powders, and floor washes are commonly used to repel or discourage negative or misplaced energy, but sometimes one needs to be a little more aggressive.  If a place is likely to be burglarized or someone living there has a tendency to invite unsavory people in, and others can’t always prevent them from doing so, this is when one needs to call on the powers of Ogun (or whichever of your war deities can move weapons in the physical realm) in a more aggressive way than normal.  For this, one basically dedicates and gives a weapon to the deity to use against the household’s enemies.

A word of caution in this: if you’ve never done it before, it is a good idea to have an experienced practitioner with you.  You should also understand that Ogun and like spirits are not pleasant to work with.  All sorts of icky, scary, weird sensations may come over you.  You will get used to this with time, and then it won’t feel bad, but more like you are in the presence of someone you understand can kill or harm you, but who if you respect, will be one of the best allies you ever knew.  Then it makes you feel awed and protected like being around an extremely tough uncle but bigger…and tougher.

Oh, and do not dilly dally.  Don’t have any open wounds.  Don’t be on your period when you do this.

You will need:

• a large kitchen knife, preferably used at least once in the house you wish to protect, bonus if it was used to prepare offerings
• an engraver or a stone capable of scratching the knife
• a handful of kola nuts
• Firey Wall of Protection oil
• Peaceful Home oil
• a black cloth or pouch
• efun or consecrated chalk
• a bottle of good liquor

Prepare your knife.  Mark it with the sign of your Gatekeeper, and put it through his incense.  Inscribe on it, “Protect this home.”  You can also decorate it more with signs of war and protection if you like.

Once you have given the appropriate offerings to your Gatekeeper and active protection deities, dig a hole in some corner of your yard.  It is best to bury it near the most used entrance, but this is not always possible.  Anywhere there is an entrance, window, corner, or in-between place that is on the left side of the home (like if you are looking at the road, that left) will do really.

Put the kola nuts in the hole.

Mark the black cloth, and set the knife on it with the blade pointing to your left, and the sharp side away from the home.

Pour a bit of Peaceful Home oil on its handle, and Firey Wall of Protection on its blade.

Then starting with the top left corner, wrap the knife with the black cloth securely.

Place the knife in the hole, again with the blade pointing to the left, and away from the home, and bury it.

Pour at least three shots for your Gatekeeper, and a full glass for the protector who can wield a knife in 3-D, of some good alcoholic drink there, and go in the house.  Don’t come out for at least half an hour.

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